The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant of hybrid origin, botanically known as Begonia ‘Flirty Girl’ and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Flirty Girl’.
‘Flirty Girl’ was derived from a breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Marietta, Ga., USA. The objectives of the breeding program were to develop new cultivars of Begonia with long bloom seasons, increased cold hardiness, and colorful foliage. ‘Flirty Girl’ originated as a seedling that arose from seed planted from open pollination of ‘Georgia Tasker’ (not patented) in summer of 2010. The exact male parentage is unknown, however the likely male parent is an unnamed and unpatented plant of Begonia acetosella based on the observed stem structure, leaf shape, and its proximity to the seed parent. ‘Flirty Girl’ was selected as a single unique plant in summer of 2011 from amongst the resulting seedlings.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the Inventor by stem cuttings in Marietta, Ga. in July of 2012. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings and in vitro propagation has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.